Adewale Yusuf is the founder and chief executive officer of Techpremier Media Limited, publisher of Techpoint, Nigeria’s leading technology website. In this interview with NATHANIEL AKHIGBE, he shares his thoughts on the tech industry in Nigeria, the role of government, among other sundry issues. Excerpts:
You started out more as a photographer. At what point did you fall in love with technology reporting?
I was introduced into technology by a mentor, James Fowe. At that time, he talked about the opportunities that were available in the field. I decided to pursue it by becoming a programmer but my love for telling stories took over and I made a switch to technology reporting as I believe that the story of technology in Nigeria has to be told.
Techpoint, the tech website that you manage, has been playing a unique role in the dissemination of tech information. How did you come about the idea and who are those funding the project?
I have been in tech-reporting for about six years. About three years ago, I wanted some info on the tech scene in Nigeria but was surprised to find out that there wasn’t adequate information available. Hence, I decided to start Techpoint.ng. We’ll be three years by January 2018. At the beginning of Techpoint.ng, we raised some money to enable us launch and put a few things in place.
What were your fears and challenges when the idea to set up a tech website was nursed in your heart?
I was afraid at first that I was going into a saturated market. One of the challenges was getting the right people to work with you. However, I started on my own. I was the writer, photographer, web developer, etc, although I outsourced the first part of the web development. What kept me going was the passion I had for wanting to tell stories of the key players in tech industry in Nigeria as well as simplify tech so that “non-techy” people can also understand what’s happening in that field.
I understand that you also organize training and related social events; in what ways do you think these efforts are contributing to tech appetite in Nigeria?
Every year, we try to shine the spotlight on different tech talents in the country. This is the major aim of our Techpoint Tours, which is an annual tour of different parts of the country in order to see what’s happening in the techsphere within the states as well as encourage tech-enthusiasts. In terms of encouragement, we have held various events, one of which is Techpoint Inspired which took place earlier this year. We also plan to host another even in January, 2018 Techpoint Build. This will be a platform for startups and businesses to meet investors and get free consultations as well.
Technology, economy and politics, where do you see these tripartite pillars placing Nigeria 20 years from now?
There is no tech-ecosystem that has thrived without the government. The government needs to realise that there are a lot of opportunities in this sector and as such align itself by creating an enabling environment for tech companies. The Silicon Valley that we all celebrate has strong backing by the US government. The first generation of companies that birthed the Silicon Valley had the government as their top client. We need the government to create policies that will enable technology thrive in Nigeria. Talking about the economy, the UK plans to stop all manufacture of car combustion engines by 2040. This is because they want to focus on clean sources of energy like electric powered cars. We need to know that technology will play a key role in national development.
There were so many reasons given why Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, visited Nigeria earlier this year. What can you tell us about that historic visit?
It was inevitable that Mark Zuckerberg or any other top shot interested in technology would visit Nigeria. Nigeria is a big market and it boasts of about 90 million internet users, according to NCC. This makes up about 40 percent of users in Africa. I won’t deny that his visit to Nigeria really helped in marketing our potential as a big tech market, although, it was mostly a business trip for him.
Nigerians are the guys making things happen in Google, Facebook and other big tech companies; what do you make of this?
Nigerians are one of the smartest people on the planet. We have enough talents and talents are being sought after globally. It is both a good development and a bad one. Reason being that the Nigerian government is yet to give the necessary recognition that these talents deserve. The government is busy outsourcing things that can be handled here to foreign based tech companies rather than hone the talents that are available within the country. We need to create an enabling environment for these talents because most of them are being recruited by foreign firms and Nigeria is losing out in this area. Nigerians are one of the best in this field and if given the necessary structure, they will thrive.
How can Nigerian government profit from the tech knowledge of these Nigerians?
Well, you don’t reap where you didn’t sow; you have to put in something to get something. The government needs to actually invest in this market before it can think of profitability. Many countries have started investing in technology to aid innovation. Dubai has a Minister of Artificial Intelligence and this is a good development. It shows that they are putting themselves at a vantage position in order to participate fully during the industrial revolution. So, the government should forget about profitability right now and focus on investing in the sector.
How would you rate the Nigeria government’s adaptation to technology, using TSA as example, and what would be your suggestions to policymakers in this regard?
I can’t say much about this government and technology. I have seen a few efforts though being made in that direction. In terms of TSA, I am a supporter of the use of a central database for the storage of information and we as a country are in need of that. An example is the BVN. A central database would aid the police in carrying out its duties and reduce the rate of corruption and criminal activities in the country.
In developed countries, citizens do not pay for internet like we pay back in Nigeria. What do you think the Nigerian government must do to bridge this gap?
We still have to pay for internet because the service is not provided by the government but by individual organisations like Main One. The company had to run a cable all the way from Portugal to Nigeria just to provide access to the internet. Globacom also had to do same. Until the government puts things in place and implements some of the policies it has made, we will continue getting access to internet at a higher cost.
What do you think is the reason tech-savvy young Nigerians are not interested in the act of governance and do you think our aged leaders can keep with the current technology pace?
I think there is a big gap. From some of the things we’ve seen, it would appear not so easy to implement certain policies as you would have to put up a fight against more experienced personalities. And I don’t know much about aged leaders keeping up with the rapidly evolving tech scene in Nigeria and the world.
How would you rate the Nigerian internet service providers and what are suggestions for improvement?
You can’t give what you don’t have. It costs a lot for the internet service providers to run the infrastructure. They can’t give more than what they are supplying. I can’t complain. But we can do better and as I said earlier, if the government can implement some policies, this will provide much-needed aid to the service providers which will in turn result in an improvement in services provided.
What project is Techpoint currently involved in?
Techpoint is currently looking to host 5,000 people in Nigeria on January 27, 2018. That’s our major project for now. The event was necessitated by the gap between startups/businesses and technology consumers. We want people to know that technology is beyond chatting on Facebook. You can do more with it. Aside from that, we have our Techpoint Inspired event where we bring young business owners to inspire and push them in the area of launching their own businesses. We also recently deployed the Techpoint.ng mobile app.
